Could Zmapp cure ebola

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Necessity is the mother of invention. Today we
have twitter campaigns, #GiveAfricaZmapp and
#GiveThemExperimentalDrugs. As meaningful as
these begging campaigns are, they must not be
our only hope at addressing the Ebola plague.
#AfricanCure is directed to the presidents of
African nations. Nigeria, the largest and one of
the most naturally capable, endowed nations –
with resource, wealth and people – is particularly
pressed. We can develop an African cure in
months. The US insists they will not help us till
two years are passed. Let’s accept they have
their protocols for manufacture and
commercialization of their stuff. We cannot press
them. They only test their drugs on our healthy
kids, not our dying. They did not test the drug on
Sheikh Khan, but did on their citizens for obvious
reasons. It is their prerogative. We must define
ours too.
Also read: 'Ebola outbreak a national emergency'
African leaders must no longer be allowed to
dance and have launch ceremonies when they
build roads and repair trains; social services of
1950. It is time we press our leaders to meet up
with 2014 demands of life. Necessity is the
mother of invention; we must take advantage of
our crises to develop our solutions. Iran today is
highly developed due to the challenges of decades
of cruel sanctions. World wars led to the
development and advancement of technologies
like the GPS we use today. Indeed in our very
own Nigeria, the challenge of the Biafra war saw
the East spin out amazing military machines and
the seeking solutions in dire times is not
unrelated to the advanced productivity of that
region today.
Zmapp is not the most complex technological
remedy. In fact, this is Bio 101. Recovering and
cloning antibodies is the oldest trick in the book
for developing immunization to diseases. The
Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN is challenged
to sit-up and first, collaborate with its Liberian
partner. Zmapp serum samples were obtained
from a certain African kid who developed
antibodies that defeated his Ebola infection.
Zmapp antibodies are an African copyright
property. The FGN must seek out candidates who
have overcome Ebola from whom antibody-laden
serum will be harvested. This involves
responsibility and cooperation.
Also read: 'Bitter kola cannot cure Ebola'
Next, the antibodies will be identified in the serum
sample by proteomics or other methods,
analyzed through peptide digestion and mass
spectrometry. Once the monoclonal antibodies
are properly identified, these will be purified and
cloned for real-time testing on our dying brother
and sisters.
As a trained physician and molecular biologist, I
submit that this process is not complicated and
very feasible to achieve within months if the
Nigerian administration is serious. We expect
something to be done. It is passed time for
African cures to African problems.
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